Vehicle-wheel.



' PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907. F. J. comm. 4 VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 26. 1906;

Willi! ward the hub: These bolts UNITED srapns PATENT oFrroE.

FRANCIS J. CONANT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J'une 18 1907.

Application filed June 26, 1906. Serial N0. 323,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. CoNA'NT, a citizen of thc United I siding at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles,

States of America, re-

and State of California, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to improvements in elastic cushioning tire wheels for automobiles and other vehicles; and the objects of my invention. are: first, to provide an elastic tire cushioning automobile Wheel; second, to provide a double tire elastic wheel constructed so that should the outer tire-break while wheel constructed in accordance with my in- Y vention; and Fig; 2, is view through the same;

Similar letters'of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral "views.

a vertical sectional Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, improved wheel."

(lesignates the hub of my To this huh I attach in any of the diflerent ways that are in common use, a circumferential row of spokes 2, the outer ends of which are secured in a felly 3, which may be made of any suitable material, and is substantially rectangular in cross-section, with a fiat outer periphery. This felly may be made hollow or solid, as desired, and on it I secure a tire 5, which is made wider than the felly. This tire is preferably used but it maybe dispensed with if the outer periphery of the folly be flanged out as wide as it is desired to make the wheel.- Through the telly and its tire, and between each pair of spokes, I form a ra dial aperture 6, and in these apertures I place bolts 7, the threaded end and nut'7A of which project from the inside of the felly toextend radially beyond the felly to an outer tire 8, which is the tread tire. This tread tire is a thin flat metal tire, and it is made enough larger than the felly to permit an elastic medium 9, to be placed between it and the folly tire. This elastic medium may consist of a plurality of springs of any elastic material, or if desired of metal, but I preferably use for the elastic cushions a plurality of rubber cushions which I term tire cushions, each of whichis provided with a central aperture that permits it to be placed loosely on one of the bolts 7', and between .the outer: tire and felly. Thesenubber cushions maybe eithersquare or round or of any other bolts extend through them, and through the outer tire, and the outside entrances of the apertures in the outer tire are countersunk to allow the heads of the bolts to sink intothe tire level with the surface of the tire. The

desired shape. The

bolt preferably fits tightly in the outer tireandloosely andslidably in the felly and its tire, so that at the'tread point of the tire when there is a load pressure on the tire and it compresses the cushions at the tread point, it consequently moves a trifleinearer to the felly-tire at thatpoint. "The felly should be deep enough to form a long bearing for the bolts, which should fit closely enough to move radially slightly but should not permit the outer tire to move sidewise or laterally on the felly and its tire, and the bolts nearest to the tread point as the wheel revolves will. be slightly pushed through the felly. I make the bolts long enough, however, to receive a metal washer 11, below the nut, and a rubber cushion or washer 12 which I term the felly cushion between the metal washer and the felly, which is compressed to such an extent when the nut of the bolt is tightened that as the tread pressure pushes the bolt through the telly the rubber washer gives enough to always bear against the metal washer, which in turn bears against the nut,

The operation is as follows: The outer tire is veryfirmly secured to the telly by the bolts, and as they are tightly screwed up against the felly the elastic cushioningsprings 1 9, willbe very mly compressed between the felly and tire, and they are placed under sufficienttension to meet the practical requirements of the size and weight and character of the wheel and automobile to which the wheel is to be applied. The amount of cushioning movement is'so slight as not to be noticeable in the movement of the bolts, and any compression at the tread point causes a tension at the top or opposite side of the wheel; consequently the compressive cush- I ioning and resilient tension due to pressure at the tread of the wheel 1s transm1ttedthrough out the circumference of and is absorbed throughout the circumference of the wheel.

In case the outer tire of the wheel gets twisted IIO , rim wider than the felly, a tire concentric series or rubber cushions between the rim and said rim, a plurality of spokes radiating from of each bolt, and a washer between said nut or bent or broken through an accident, the outer tire and the rubber springs 9 and the bolts, can be removed entirely from the felly, and the rider can still run the automobile on 1 re felly of the wheel to a place where he can .ave the wheel repaired. I My invention is simple and durable, and will make a practical cushioning automobile. wheel. I

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a wheel, the combinationvwith a hub and a felly, a rim wider than the folly, a tire concentric with and of larger diameter than said hub tosaid felly, a series of rubber cushions between the rim and the tire, a second series'of rubber cushions within the felly between the said spokes, each cushion of the second series being in radial alinement with a cushion of the first series, and a series of clamping bolts extending through the felly, rim and tire, each bolt passing through a pair of cushions, a clamping nuton the inner end and the inner cushion. 2. In a wheel, the combination of a felly, a

with and'of larger diameter than said rim, a

] within the felly,

the tire, a second series of rubber cushions series being in radial alinement with a cushion of the first series, and a series of clamping bolts extending through the felly, rim and tire, each bol't passing through a pair of cushions, a clamping nut on the inner end of each bolt, and 'a washer between'said nut and the inner cushion. I

3. In a wheel, the combination-With the felly, the spokes, and the hub, of a rim mounted on said felly of greater width thansaid felly, a tire concentric with and oflarger diameter than said rim, a series of rubber cushions between the rim and the tire, a series of clamping bolts extending from said tire through said rim and felly and beyond said felly between said spokes, a nut threaded to the end of each of said clamping bolts, a washer on each clamping bolt adjacent to said nut,'an d a rubber cushion on each clamping bolt between said washer and said felly in radial alinement with the rubber cushions between said rim and tire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS J. CONANT.

Witnesses: I

JNo. F. ,MENDENHALL,

RALPH BARNEY.

each cushion of the second 

